Christian Moral Principles

Question 1

What is theonomous Christian ethics?

Answer 1

Ethics which are based solely on God’s laws or commands. Therefore this approach to ethical decision making is based solely on scripture

Question 2

What is ‘Sola Scriptura’?

Answer 2

It means ‘by scripture alone’

Question 3

What do theonomous Christians think about the Bible?

Answer 3

The Bible is the word of God. It is inerrant and infallible

Question 4

What is a propositional approach to scripture?

Answer 4

Accepting that the words of the Bible are direct messages from God. There should be no adjustment for current times and culture.

Question 5

What is a non-propositional approach to scripture?

Answer 5

The belief that the words of the Bible should be understood in the context of Jesus’ time and in his culture. The Bible should be followed as a whole, but not necessarily each rule by the letter.

Question 6

What does it say in Timothy in support of a theonomous approach to ethics?

Answer 6

‘All scripture is inspired by God […] and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness’ - Timothy

Question 7

What does it say in Jeremiah about a theonomous approach to ethics?

Answer 7

‘The Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth”’ - Jeremiah

Question 8

What does it say in Peter about a theonomous approach to ethics?

Answer 8

“You must understand that no scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation […] Prophets, though human, spoke from God carried by the Holy Spirit” - Peter

Question 9

What kind of reasoning it it to use scripture to support theonomous ethics?

Answer 9

Circular reasoning

Question 10

What are apodictic commands?

Answer 10

Rules which tell people exactly what to do

Question 11

What is an example of apodictic commands from the Bible?

Answer 11

The 10 Commandments

Question 12

What quote suggests that Christianity needs reinterpreting?

Answer 12

‘You have hear that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery in his heart’ - Sermon on the Mount

This is an example of Jesus taking old Jewish laws and changing them. Should we not do the same today?

Question 13

What is an example of a specific command Jesus gives?

Answer 13

When asked what the greatest commandment is in Mark, Jesus states:

‘Love the Lord your God […] the second most important Commandment is this: love your neighbour as you love yourself, there is no other Commandment more important than these’

Question 14

What are 5 strengths of theonomous ethics?

Answer 14

1) The Bible provides a good mix of explicit commands and moral principles, e.g The 10 Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount
2) If the Bible is the Word of God, then it is right to take a theonomous approach to ethics
3) Theonomous ethics are absolutes and are not situational
4) Saints, such as Saint Peter, Timothy and Jeremiah, support theonomous ethics
5) The Bible contains over 6000 years’ worth of wisdom

Question 15

What are 5 weaknesses of theonomous ethics?

Answer 15

1) The Bible contains a huge number of contradictions, especially between the Old Testament and New Testament. So it’s hard to impossible to apply the Bible.
2) Using only the Bible as guidance is to reject thousands of years of human reasoning and other sources
3) Using the Bible only puts a lot of weight on human interpretation, which can be fallible
4) According to Karl Barth, too much emphasis on the Bible can lead to ‘Bibliolatry’, worship of the Bible, rather than God
5) The Bible does not provide ethical guidance on 21st Century issues, such as genetic modification, cloning, or hacking

Question 16

What is ‘Bibliolatry’?

Answer 16

Putting too much emphasis on the Bible, rather than the worship of God. It was a phrase coined by Karl Barth.

Question 17

Who cam up with the phrase ‘Bibliolatry’?

Answer 17

Karl Barth

Question 18

What is heteronomous ethics?

Answer 18

Ethics that are based on several sources of authority. This includes the belief that the Bible alone is not a sufficient moral guide and so other sources of wisdom need to be used as well.

Question 19

What 4 sources does the Catholic Church promote as sources of moral guidance?

Answer 19

1) The Bible
2) Personal Conscience
3) Reason and Natural Law
4) The Magisterium

Question 20

What is the Magisterium?

Answer 20

The official teachings of the Catholic Church. These come from the Pope, who Catholics believe to be God’s representative on Earth, thus the Magisterium is infalllible.

Question 21

What is a papal encyclical?

Answer 21

A letter written by the Pope

Question 22

What is ‘Prima Scriptura’?

Answer 22

It means ‘scripture first’. It is the Protestant view that moral decision making should start with the Bible, but not be the only source of guidance.

Question 23

What does the Church of England teach about the Bible?

Answer 23

The Bible is inspired by God, but written by humans. It may be erroneous, so it should not be the only source of moral guidance.

Question 24

How does Protestant heteronomous ethics differ from Catholic heteronomous ethics?

Answer 24

Protestants believe that the Bible should be use as the main guide for morality, whereas Catholics use the Magisterium

Question 25

What are 4 strengths of heteronomous ethics?

Answer 25

1) Heteronomous ethics allows Christians to use thousand of years of wisdom, as well as personal conscience
2) Heteronomous ethics avoids the contradictions of the Bible
3) Heteronomous ethics allows the words of the Pope, God’s representative on earth, to be listened to
4) Heteronomous avoids the problem of the Bible being outdated

Question 26

What are 4 weaknesses of heteronomous ethics?

Answer 26

1) If the Bible is the word of God it shouldn’t need human reason to ‘work it out’
2) Heterenomous ethics does not explain as to which sources we should prioritise
3) Heteronomous ethics do not explain which sources are legitimate in the first place
4) Human reason is flawed, and heteronomous ethics relies on it

Question 27

What is autonomous ethics?

Answer 27

Ethics that are self-governed. Christians using autonomous ethics do not rely on guidance from the Church or the Pope, but only use the key principle of love for others.

Question 28

What is agape?

Answer 28

Totally unselfish love for others

Question 29

What does Jesus say about fraternal love in John?

Answer 29

‘The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them[…] This, then, is what I command you: love one another’ - John

Question 30

Name 3 Christian thinkers who advocated moving away from rule-following, and instead using agape?

Answer 30

1) Joseph Fletcher
2) Paul Tillich
3) Hans Kung

Question 31

What

Answer 31

1) Avoids biblical outdatedness and competing sources of morality
2) According to Hans Kung, Jesus encouraged people to focus on love rather than rules
3) Autonomous ethics lets Christians continue their Christianity without being associated with the Church, which they might feel is corrupt
4) Paul Tillich’s idea of love includes justice and forgiveness, and these are qualities we encourage in society
5) Hans Kung thought that autonomous ethics would allow for a ‘global ethic’ and focus on what really matters

Question 32

What did Hans Kung say Jesus encouraged people to do?

Answer 32

Hans Kung believed that Jesus encourage people to focus on love rather than rules

Question 33

What did Hans Kung say autonomous ethics would allow for?

Answer 33

The creation of a global ethics

Question 34

What did Paul Tillich believe about love?

Answer 34

Love includes justice and forgiveness.

Thus we should act with love instead of rules, as these qualities should be encourage in society.

Question 35

What Paul Tillich quote talks about ‘rule-obsession’?

Answer 35

Paul Tillich said that rule-obsession would lead to ‘the prohibition of eating this, or avoiding that,, or drinking this or that’, and this is not what Christianity is supposed to be about

Question 36

What did Hans Kung say about Christian ethics?

Answer 36

Kung believed that there nothing in the context of Christian ethics which could not be found elsewhere or by any person of good will

Question 37

Why does Stanley Hauerwas think that autonomous ethics do not work, but heteronomous ethics does?

Answer 37

Hauerwas thinks that Christian ethics only make sense within a community of people and will not, or cannot work as an entirely autonomous thing.